These brownies were born out of a happy accident. We were craving our classic tahini-swirled brownies but found ourselves short on regular tahini, which, yes, sounds impossible, but actually happened. So, we used what we had, and then reached for our Spicy Tahini, figuring it was worth a try. It absolutely was. The brownies will bake up into a spicy treat, but it balances so well with the chocolate.

Makes 12 brownies

Time 45 minutes

INGREDIENTS

9 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into cubes, plus more for the pan
9 ounces 70% dark chocolate, chopped
4 large eggs
2¼ cups sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons best-quality cocoa powder
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ cup walnuts, toasted and roughly chopped (optional)
8 ounces halva, broken into 1-inch chunks
3–4 tablespoons Seed + Mill Tahini
3–4 tablespoons Seed + Mill Spicy Tahini
1 teaspoon flaky sea salt, such as Maldon, to finish
Ice cream, to serve

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease a 13-by-9-inch baking pan with butter and line with parchment paper. Set aside.

2. Melt the butter and chocolate together in a double boiler: place them in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water, making sure the bowl doesn't touch the water. Stir occasionally with a spatula until fully melted and smooth. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool for a few minutes.

3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the eggs and sugar on medium speed until pale and creamy, 3 to 4 minutes.

4. Add the melted chocolate to the egg mixture and fold together gently with a rubber spatula.

5. Sift the flour, cocoa powder, and salt into a large bowl. Add the chocolate mixture, walnuts (if using), and crumbled halva, and fold with a spatula until just combined — don't over mix.

6. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a spatula.

7. Dollop both tahinis over the batter in 7 to 8 spots, about a tablespoon at a time. Then use a skewer, toothpick, or the back of a spoon to swirl them into the batter. There's no right or wrong here — have fun with it.

8. Bake for 25–30 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs (not wet batter).

9. Let the brownies cool completely in the pan before cutting into squares. Finish with flaky sea salt and serve with ice cream if you like.

Stored in a sealed container, these will keep for up to one week — though they rarely last that long.